


Dancing to Sweet Music

by shellygurumi



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dancing, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-25 02:56:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21349105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shellygurumi/pseuds/shellygurumi
Summary: A rare night of relaxing finds Alex and Henry listening to music. Alex decides they need to dance when a Hozier song comes on the radio.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 15
Kudos: 129





	Dancing to Sweet Music

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HMS_Chill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMS_Chill/gifts).

> I've got some colour back, she thinks so, too  
I laugh like me again, she laughs like you
> 
> Okay, maybe that's a different version of the lyrics, but listening to this song just makes me think of Henry and Alex coming back to themselves when they have time to just relax and be together without things being completely crazy.

Snow was falling outside the Brooklyn brownstone and the semester was over for the winter. Henry and Alex had plenty of engagements on their plate for both the Royal Family and the First Family, but tonight was just for them. It had been a few days since Alex finished all his finals and was able to just decompress from his first semester of law school. A radiator was warming the room, music was playing on an internet radio station from a smart device on the coffee table. Alex sat with his back against the arm of the couch and his legs draped over Henry’s lap. Both young men were scrolling through their phones, taking that rare moment to just exist in peace. 

It had been so long since there weren’t expectations on their time and it wasn’t going to last, so they wanted to make the most of it by doing absolutely nothing. Every so often, they would share a picture from Instagram, a funny meme from the internet or an interesting news article. Sometimes they spoke, sometimes they were silent. Henry let a hand rest on Alex’s leg, running his thumb idly over his flannel pants. They were both dressed in pajamas, mugs of hot cocoa within reach. Henry had convinced Alex that cocoa was better than coffee when there was no reason to stay up late. 

The song playing ended and a new one started, the first notes of “Almost (Sweet Music)” drifted lazily through the air and Alex lifted his head. A smile lit up his face and he looked over at Henry, who lifted his gaze to smile in return. He hadn’t noticed the song yet, but Alex knew it well. He suddenly sat up and dropped his legs to the ground, standing. Reaching out both hands, Alex grabbed ahold of Henry’s wrists and pulled him to stand as well.

“What’s going on?” Henry laughed as he let himself be hauled off the couch.

“I love this song,” Alex said, as if that explained everything. 

“Are we dancing...?” Henry was confused as to why they were standing.

“We are dancing,” Alex confirmed and pulled Henry away from the coffee table to the bit of open floor nearby. Just as the song shifted into full swing. Delightful, joyful music surged its way across the speakers and Alex looked light, careless and happy for the first time in too long.

Henry couldn’t deny his boyfriend if he wanted to, which he didn’t. He let himself be pulled into Alex’s arms and wrapped one of his own around the smaller man’s waist. Alex dropped one hand on Henry’s shoulder and the fingers of their free hands were laced together. It was hard to say who was leading who in the dance, both of them had learned to dance rather well and while most of Henry’s training was much more formal, this sort of thing was easy enough to fall into.

They swayed together to the music, holding each other close at times and then drifting apart in playfully dramatic moves. Henry twirled Alex around, laughing as the loose ends of his robe’s belt thwacked Henry’s side. The joy in the music was mirrored in their movements and their smiles. Alex sang along to the words he knew, delighting in the many references to other songs, some of which he knew, some he didn’t. Henry enjoyed the light in Alex’s eyes.

Henry spun Alex around again, this time pulling him back so that Alex’s back was against Henry’s chest, Alex’s arms crossed over his own chest and both hands held in Henry’s. They swayed back and forth in that position for a few beats, Henry leaning down to kiss Alex’s cheek. They both laughed sweetly and Alex tipped his head back to catch Henry’s lips in a brief but loving kiss.

Alex twisted around again as the song worked its way towards the end, repeating lines of the chorus. He draped his arms over Henry’s shoulders and looked lovingly up into his boyfriend’s eyes. Henry’s arms found their home wrapped around Alex’s waist, bringing him close. Their movements slowed as the song drew to an end. Finally, they ended up just hugging each other loosely. 

“I think I feel like me again...” Alex said, feeling rather wistful. 

“You look like you again, love.” He pressed a kiss to Alex’s forehead. 

“Thank you... for putting up with me this whole semester. I know it was a lot.” He dropped his head down to rest on Henry’s chest and Henry drew one hand up Alex’s back.

“Hey... I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah?” Alex asked, then scoffed a laugh at himself for asking for such reassurance.

“Absolutely. Always, Alex.” Henry let his head rest on top of Alex’s.

“I don’t know how I survived without you here by my side all this time.”

“You drove June and Nora up the wall. And called me at odd hours of the night.”

Alex laughed at the last part, “Yeah, I guess I did.”

“I seem to recall an event with you and some turkeys you feared might eat you in the night.” Henry gave Alex a squeeze. 

“God, that was the first time I called you, wasn’t it, sweetheart?”

That pet name, to this day, still made Henry smile. “It was. I’m glad you did.” 

“Me too,” Alex agreed. He took a deep breath and sighed it out, content, then repeated himself. “Me too...”

Henry hummed softly and started them swaying slowly to the next song that had started, it was slow and pretty and Henry didn’t recognize it. But it didn’t matter, really, nothing did right now, except that Alex was in his arms and they were together and happy. It was a long, long journey to get here but it was more than worth it.

“Love you, Alex.” Henry could feel Alex’s cheek rounding against his chest as he smiled.

“Love you, too, Henry.” 


End file.
